NCLEX: A 31-year-old client on an inpatient psychiatric unit is being evaluated for acute emotional crisis. Assessment d…

Psychiatric / mental health nursing Psychosocial Integrity

Case Study

A 31-year-old client on an inpatient psychiatric unit is being evaluated for acute emotional crisis. Assessment data include the client reports hearing voices telling them to hurt themselves. Before a medication-related action, what must the nurse verify?

Question

A. Administer on schedule even when the client is unarousable.
B. Skip allergy checks if the drug was given previously without reaction.
C. Delegate medication judgment to UAP to save time.
D. Right client, medication, dose, route, time, allergies, indication, and relevant monitoring per protocol.

Rationale

Correct answer: D. Right client, medication, dose, route, time, allergies, indication, and relevant monitoring per protocol.

Rationale: Medication safety requires full rights verification and monitoring; shortcuts increase error risk on the NCLEX and at the bedside.

Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.

Level: Advanced

Difficulty: Hard

Subtopic: Crisis intervention